It is the first question everyone asks and the one most landscapers avoid answering. How much does landscaping actually cost?
The honest answer is that it depends. A simple patio and lawn reshape might cost a few thousand pounds. A full garden design and build with stone terracing, planting, lighting and drainage can run well into five figures. The range is enormous because every garden is different.
What we can do is give you a clear picture of how landscape gardeners cost out a project, what drives the price up and down, and what you should realistically budget for different types of work. We are a garden design and build company based in Surrey, so the figures below reflect what you would expect to pay in the south-east of England in 2026.
Landscape Gardener Day Rates and Labour Costs
Labour is usually the biggest single cost in any landscaping project. In Surrey and the wider south-east, you can expect to pay the following for qualified, insured professionals:
- General landscaper: £180–£280 per day
- Skilled tradesperson (bricklayer, stone mason, carpenter): £250–£350 per day
- Garden designer: £50–£100 per hour for design time, or a fixed fee based on garden size
- Team of 2–3 landscapers: £400–£700 per day
These rates are higher than the national average because Surrey sits firmly in the south-east premium band. A landscaper in the Midlands or the North might charge £150–£200 per day for the same work. You are paying for proximity, local knowledge and the higher cost of running a business in this part of the country.
Be cautious with quotes that come in dramatically below these ranges. Landscaping is skilled, physical work. If someone is quoting £100 a day, they are either cutting corners on insurance, qualifications, or the quality of work.
How Much Does It Cost to Landscape a Garden?
To give you a ballpark, here is what a full landscaping project typically costs at different scales. These include design, labour and materials but exclude VAT:
Small Garden (up to 50m²)
A small courtyard, terraced house garden or compact back garden. Typical work includes new paving or decking, fencing, raised beds, basic planting and perhaps a small lawn.
Typical cost: £5,000–£15,000
At the lower end, you are looking at a straightforward layout with standard materials. At the upper end, you might include quality natural stone paving, bespoke timber structures and a designed planting scheme.
Medium Garden (50–150m²)
A typical family garden with space for a patio, lawn, planting borders, maybe a water feature or garden room base. This is where most of our projects in Dorking, Reigate and Guildford fall.
Typical cost: £15,000–£40,000
This range covers a professional design, quality hard landscaping, comprehensive planting, lighting and irrigation. Retaining walls, level changes and drainage work will push costs towards the upper end.
Large Garden (150m²+)
Larger properties, rural gardens or estate grounds. Projects at this scale often include multiple zones, extensive hard landscaping, mature tree planting, wildlife ponds, garden rooms and detailed planting schemes.
Typical cost: £40,000–£100,000+
At this level, you are investing in a space that will fundamentally change how you use your property. These projects typically run for several months and involve multiple trades.
What Affects the Cost of Landscaping?
Two gardens of the same size can cost completely different amounts to landscape. Here are the factors that have the biggest impact on your budget:
Hard Landscaping vs Soft Landscaping
Hard landscaping (patios, walls, steps, driveways, fencing, decking) always costs more than soft landscaping (planting, turfing, mulching, soil preparation). A garden that is 80% paved with natural stone will cost significantly more per square metre than one that is mostly lawn and planting beds.
As a rough guide:
- Natural stone paving: £80–£150 per m² (supplied and laid)
- Porcelain paving: £70–£130 per m²
- Composite decking: £100–£180 per m²
- Fencing: £80–£120 per metre (panel and post, installed)
- Retaining walls: £150–£400 per linear metre depending on height and material
- Turfing: £15–£25 per m² (including ground preparation)
- Planting: £30–£80 per m² depending on density and plant sizes
Access and Site Conditions
If materials need to be carried through a house or down a narrow side passage, it takes longer and costs more. Restricted access is one of the most common reasons quotes come in higher than expected.
Ground conditions matter too. Heavy clay soil, which is extremely common across Surrey, requires deeper foundations for paving and walls. Sloping sites need retaining structures. Both add cost. If you are working with clay, our guide to garden design on clay soils in Surrey explains the challenges and how we approach them.
Level Changes and Drainage
A flat garden is simpler and cheaper to landscape than a sloping one. Dry stone retaining walls, terracing, steps and drainage systems all add to the cost but are often essential to make a sloping garden functional and safe.
Material Quality
The difference between budget and premium materials is significant. Indian sandstone paving might cost £30 per m² for the stone alone, while English York stone could be £80–£120 per m². Both will last decades, but the look, feel and character are quite different.
We always recommend spending more on the things you see and touch every day, like paving and walls, and saving where it does not show, like sub-bases and drainage materials.
Planting Schemes
Planting costs vary enormously. A simple scheme using small pot sizes and common species might cost £20–£30 per m². A detailed, designer planting plan using larger specimens, native species and seasonal layering could cost £60–£100 per m² or more.
If you are interested in how we approach planting, take a look at our wild garden designs or our guide to creating bespoke planting plans.
Garden Features
Individual features add up quickly. Here are some typical costs for popular additions:
- Wildlife pond: £2,000–£8,000+ depending on size and complexity
- Bespoke garden room: £15,000–£40,000+
- Pergola or open structure: £3,000–£10,000
- Garden lighting scheme: £1,500–£5,000
- Irrigation system: £1,000–£3,000
- Wildflower meadow (per 100m²): £500–£1,500
Garden Design Costs
Design is a separate cost from construction, and it is worth every penny. A professional garden design gives you a clear plan, avoids expensive mistakes and ensures the finished garden works as a whole rather than a collection of disconnected ideas.
Garden design fees typically work in one of two ways:
- Fixed fee based on garden size: ranging from £1,500 for a small garden to £5,000+ for larger or more complex projects
- Percentage of build cost: typically 10–15% of the total construction budget
At Wild by Design, design is integrated into our build process. We handle everything from the initial concept through to the finished garden, which means the design fee is part of the overall project cost rather than a separate line item.
How to Get the Most From Your Budget
Whatever your budget, here are some practical ways to make it go further:
Phase the work. You do not have to do everything at once. We often design a complete garden but build it in stages. Get the hard landscaping right first, then add planting, features and finishing touches over time.
Invest in the structure. Good foundations, proper drainage and quality paving will last decades. These are not the places to cut costs. Save money on things that are easy to change later, like plant sizes and decorative features.
Choose local materials. Locally sourced stone, reclaimed brick and Surrey timber are often cheaper than imported alternatives and look far more natural in the landscape.
Keep the design simple. Complexity costs money. A clean, well-proportioned layout with fewer materials often looks better and costs less than a complicated design with lots of different surfaces and features.
Think long-term. A well-built garden adds real value to your property. It also reduces maintenance costs over time. Cheap materials and poor workmanship end up costing more in repairs and replacements within a few years.
What Does a Wild by Design Project Cost?
We work across a range of budgets, but most of our garden design and build projects in Surrey fall between £20,000 and £80,000. That includes design, all hard and soft landscaping, planting and project management.
We also offer specialist wilding and habitat services for clients who want to take a more ecological approach to their land. These projects range from small wildlife garden features to large-scale woodland management and habitat restoration programmes.
Every project starts with a conversation. We will visit your garden, talk through what you want to achieve and give you a realistic idea of what it will cost before you commit to anything.
Get a Free Consultation
If you are planning a garden project and want to understand the costs involved, we are happy to help. We offer a free, no-obligation site visit and consultation across Surrey, Sussex and the surrounding areas.
We will walk the garden with you, discuss your ideas and budget, and give you honest advice on what is achievable. No hard sell, no pressure.
- Call us on 01306 331026
- Book a free consultation
- Send us a message
- Browse our recent projects to see our work
